Laurel Court
Highland Park
Lake County
Photo courtesy of Homes by Marco
The Development
Developed by Fulton Developers of Deerfield, Laurel Court is a 61-unit rowhome development in Highland Park and was the first development to include affordable homes per the City’s inclusionary housing ordinance. Completed in two phases between 2007 and 2017, there are a mix of for-sale and rental housing dispersed throughout, and nine of the 61 units are affordable to income-qualified households.
Highland Park’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, which requires 20% of units in all new residential developments to be affordable, enables the city to create housing opportunities for people with a range of income levels. In return, developers receive incentives from the city like fee waivers and density bonuses to help offset the cost of including the required affordable homes. The density bonus for Laurel Court allowed the developer to build additional market rate housing, only slightly more than what the zoning would normally allow.
The Highland Park Community Land Trust manages the marketing and sales of the affordable units, identifying and pre-qualifying income-eligible buyers and, when the buyers want to sell their home, ensuring that the home is sold to another income-qualified buyer. Of the nine affordable options included in Laurel Court, five are for-sale condos and three are rental apartments. Of the five for-sale condos, three are reserved for households with incomes up to 80% area median income (AMI), one is reserved for households with incomes up to 100% AMI, and one is reserved for households with incomes up to 120% AMI. Of the four rentals, one is reserved for households with incomes up to 45% AMI, two are reserved for households with incomes up to 65% AMI, and one is reserved for households with incomes up to 100% AMI.
Goal
To provide quality housing options in Highland Park to an economically diverse range of households.
Target
Both market-rate and low-and-moderate income buyers and renters.
Financing
The development required no public funding.
Success
Laurel Court was the first housing development in Highland Park to include affordable options as required by their Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO). Where there were concerns that an IHO would deter development, a phase II of Laurel Court has already added more affordable rental and homeownership options, and similar developments have followed suit in Highland Park.
Lessons Learned
When local leaders work with developers and local stakeholders in its crafting, and establish clear and predictable policies and approval processes, an IHO attracts capable developers and does not deter development.
Also important to the building’s long-terms success is the role of a third-party partner, in this case Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH), who administers the waitlist and provides housing counseling and other valuable services to income eligible households.
Contact Information
City of Highland Park Community Development Department: https://www.cityhpil.com/government/city_departments/community_development/index.php.
This case study was last updated in February 2026.
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